Straight On 'Til Morning
by sloanage
Summary: The various worlds of Disney have always been separated, but for good reason. Watch what happens as the walls are broken, the characters collide, and complete chaos takes over. The hunt for the seven Magical Artifacts is on, and the fate of the worlds may rest solely in the hands of the boy who never grew up.


**The many worlds of Disney are about to be thrown into a chaos they have never known, and it all begins with a twist in one of our favorite story's endings...**

* * *

The chime of the front door rang throughout the house, alerting them of the arrival of the Lost Boys. The Darlings hurried downstairs to meet them, leaving Peter and Wendy alone. The pause that followed was brief and only slightly awkward. It wasn't broken until Wendy finally spoke up.

"So I guess you'll be leaving, then." Her voice almost cracked as she struggled to finish the sentence, a depressing sort of finality in her tone. Even Peter couldn't blame her, as bubbly as he was. Now that the Darling children were safely returned home, he didn't have much business there, did he?

Breaking eye contact, Peter's gaze shifted to his feet as he mumbled, "I guess so." There was another pause, this one much longer.

Peter was growing more frustrated with himself by the minute. When this had all started, he had no intentions of getting attached to anyone. He had to constantly remind himself that the people you get attached to would only abandon you in the end, just like Wendy was doing now. Even the Lost Boys were leaving him. Aside from Tinker Bell, Peter was looking at a dismal, lonely future.

The two continued to stand mere inches away from each other, neither one saying a word. Peter's eyes were still fixed on the ground. Wendy looked at him, waiting to see if he'd return her gaze, as if simple recognition would do something to relieve them of this grim situation.

Figuring there was nothing more to be said, Peter finally pulled his eyes away from the floorboards of the nursery, but not to look at Wendy. Instead, he glanced at the open window to his left. "I hope you're right, Wendy."

Wendy was a bit surprised. She took a step closer to him, attempting to get in his line of sight. "What do you mean?"

"I hope it's true. What you said. I hope growing up isn't all that bad. I hope it all works out for you."

To this, she nodded. "And to you."

Another short silence, though Peter didn't allow this one to fester like before. He made his way to the window, placing one foot on the sill. He hoisted himself up and, slowly, began to hover in place. It was nearly impossible for him to think happy thoughts at all, forcing him to use all his strength just to keep himself afloat. Back turned, he was prepared to fly away without a single backward glance. In a desperate attempt to get him to stay a bit longer, Wendy scrambled toward him and shouted, "Wait!"

Peter whirled around. He'd secretly been hoping she would stop him. He realized then that he wasn't so eager to leave, after all.

Wendy grabbed onto his hand. She looked up, glad that Peter was finally looking her in the eyes. Summoning all her courage, she said, "You don't _have _to leave, you know." She gave Peter's hand a squeeze and prayed he would accept her offer to stay. Tears began to well up in her eyes. The thought of losing a friend like him so quickly was not a pleasant one.

"Wendy," Peter started. She didn't like the way his voice sounded. "I couldn't. The Boys will be staying with you. The last thing you need is another one to look after."

"What's it matter? We've already got…" She took a moment to count in her head. "...eight! What's one more?"

Peter frowned. She had a point. But as much as he wanted to stay with Wendy, his mind kept telling him to argue against her. "Still, I can't. Neverland needs me."

Wendy, refusing to release his hand, rolled her eyes and retorted, "Neverland needs you, or _you _need _Neverland_?" When Peter had no response, she continued, "You don't have to be afraid of growing up, Peter. Sometimes it's not such a bad thing. You get to do all kinds of things like…" She began to think desperately. "Like buying your own clothes!" It was a minor thing, sure, but it was one of the many reasons Wendy looked forward to getting older. "And having your own house! And paying for your own meals when you go out, and driving a car, and falling in love, and starting a family. It's not all that terrible, I swear."

Peter had to admit, the idea wasn't sounding so bad anymore, but for some reason, he still wouldn't allow himself to give in. "Wendy…" Suddenly, he began to get angry. Why did she have to argue with him? She should just let him leave. What did he matter to her, anyway? "Wendy, I can't!" His voice had raised to a shout and his face was turning bright red. "I have to go." He began to turn, but she wouldn't let go of his hand. She tightened her grip, despite his rising temper.

"Peter," she spoke in a soothing voice. He ceased his tantrum for long enough to really look into her eyes. Their color reminded him of the perfectly blue tone of the sky in Neverland. Even in the darkness of night, he could tell that the sky here was different. As he became entranced in Wendy's watery eyes, she finished, "You may need Neverland, but I need you."

At this, Peter was taken aback. His mouth dropped just a bit as he wondered if anyone had ever _needed _him before. Wendy was right. Neverland didn't really need him. It had done fine on its own long before he got there. Maybe the Boys had needed him, but they were moving on. Wendy might have been the first person to ever truly need him.

And it was this overwhelming sense of responsibility that made Peter respond with the slightest nod of his head. Wendy raised her eyebrows, inviting him to open his mouth and speak the word, "Okay."

In a whirlwind of bliss and relief, Wendy let out a cheer and pulled Peter through the window and into the nursery. Their arms flew around each other as they spun around the room, both howling with laughter. Wendy pulled back from their hug for just a moment and grabbed both of Peter's hands. A single tear had made its way down her cheek, but she didn't care to wipe it. Instead, she flew forward to quickly peck her lips against Peter's.

Peter's grin vanished as he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "A…" he struggled to think of the right word. "A thimble?"

Wendy giggled and answered, "No, Peter. That was a kiss." With that, she grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him again, this time longer. Peter's eyes widened and his body stiffened uncomfortably. For a few moments, he wasn't sure what to do, but as Wendy kissed him, he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. He had made the decision. He was staying. He didn't have to say goodbye to Wendy, or to the Lost Boys, or even to John and Michael. He was staying. Slowly, he began to relax as his eyes gently closed.

Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.


End file.
